This article delineates the age of candidacy laws of the federal government and individual states of the United States. The US has historically had minimum age requirements for many positions, ranging from President to local members of city council. While there is no maximum age limit or point of forced retirement - other countries like Canada enforce retirement ages on judges[1] and senators[2] - there are term limits in some cases, most notably a limit of 2 full terms for the President of the United States.

Federal government

State government

StateGovernorUpper HouseLower HouseLieutenant GovernorAttorney GeneralSecretary of StateTreasurer
Alabama30252130252525
Alaska3025213018*N.A.18*
Arizona252525N.A.252525
Arkansas3025213018*18*18
California18*18*18*18*18*18*18*
Colorado30252530252525
Connecticut3018*18*3018None18*
Delaware30272430NoneNoneNone
Florida3021213030None25
Georgia30252130252518*
Hawaii30251830NoneN.A.None
Idaho3018*18*30302525
Illinois25[3]212125[3]252525
Indiana30252130None18*
Iowa302521301818*
Kansas25[4]18*18*25[4]NoneNone
Kentucky30[5]3024[5]30303030
Louisiana30301825252525
Maine30 [6]25*21*N.A.NoneNone
Maryland30[7]25[7]21[7]30[7]18*18*
Massachusetts25[8]25 1818*181818
Michigan30[9]21[9]21[9]30[9]None18*
Minnesota25212125[10]2121
Mississippi30252120262525
Missouri30302430NoneNone
Montana30NoneNone252525
Nebraska3021N.A.30NoneNone
Nevada2521212518*18*18*
New Hampshire30[11]30[11]18[11]N.A.18*18*
New Jersey30[12]30[12]2130NoneNone
New Mexico30252130303030
New York30[13]18[13]18[13]30[13]30None30
North Carolina30[14]25[15]21[16]30[14]None2121
North Dakota3019*18*30252525
Ohio181818None181818
Oklahoma31[17]25[17]21[17]31313131
Oregon302121N.A.1818
Pennsylvania3025213030NoneNone
Rhode Island18181818181818
South Carolina30[18]25[19]21[19]3018*18*
South Dakota21212121NoneNone
Tennessee303021[20]30†18None
Texas302621301818*18*
Utah3025253025N.A.25
Vermont18 [21]NoneNoneNoneNoneNone
Virginia30[22]21[23]21[23]303018*18*
Washington18*18*18*18*18*18*18*
West Virginia301818N.A.2518*18
Wisconsin18181818*18*18*18
Wyoming302521N.A.18*2525

* Qualified elector/registered voter requirement.
† State Senate membership requirement.
N.A. implies that such a position does not exist in that state.

Alaska

  • Any public office: at least 30 (qualified voter requirement)[24]

Arizona

  • Any public office: at least 18[25]

California

  • Any public office: 18[26]

Colorado

  • Any public office: at least 21

Connecticut

Georgia

  • Any public office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[27]

Hawaii

  • Neighborhood Board Member: 18

Idaho

Illinois

  • Comptroller: 25[3]
  • School Board Member: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[29]

Indiana

  • Mayor: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[30]

Iowa

  • Any elected office: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[31]

Louisiana

  • Treasurer: 25
  • School Board Member: 18 (qualified voter requirement) [32]

Maryland

  • Circuit Court Judge: 30[7]
  • County Sheriff: 25[7]
  • Other county offices: vary according to local law[7]
  • Any public office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[33]

Massachusetts

  • Most offices: 18

Michigan

Governor or Lieutenant Governor: 30

State Senate or State House: 21

Judge: Licensed to practice law

All other offices: 18 (must be a registered and qualified elector)

Minnesota

  • Many offices: 21[34]

Montana

  • Mayor: at least 21[35]

Nebraska

Nevada

  • Any public office: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[36]

New Mexico

  • Most offices: 18 (qualified elector requirement)[37]

New York

  • Comptroller: 30[13]
  • State Senator: 18[38]
  • State Assembly:18[38]

North Carolina

North Dakota

  • Mayor/council: 18 (qualified voter requirement)[40]

Oklahoma

  • State, county, and municipal public offices: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[41]

Oregon

  • Sheriff: 21
  • Other county and local offices: 18[42]
  • Justice of the Peace: 18

Pennsylvania

  • Mayors of Third-Class Cities: 18[43]

Rhode Island

  • Any elected office: 18 (qualified voter requirement[44]

South Carolina

South Dakota

  • Public Utilities Commissioner: 25
  • Mayor/alderman: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[46]

Tennessee

  • Supreme Court Judge: 35
  • Other state judges: 30
  • County mayor/county executive: 30
  • Sheriff: 25
  • Constable: 21
  • County School Board Member: 18 (registered voter requirement)
  • State House of Representatives: 21
  • State Senate: 35
  • Governor: 30

Texas

  • Any public office: at least 19 (qualified voter requirement) [47]

Vermont

  • Town officials: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[48][49]

Virginia

  • Any office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[50]

Washington

  • Any office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[51]

Wisconsin

  • Any city office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[52]

Wyoming

  • Any municipal office: at least 18 (qualified voter requirement)[53]

Local government

Many states require elected municipal officers to be at least 18 years of age or be a registered voter in the city thereof. Montana requires mayors to be at least 21 years of age.

As of November 2016, most U.S. cities with populations exceeding 200,000 required their mayor to be a registered voter in the city thereof or at least 18 years of age. Here are the following exceptions:

  • 30 Years: Denver, CO; Honolulu, HI; Memphis, TN; Nashville, TN; St. Louis, MO
  • 25 Years: Baltimore, MD; Colorado Springs, CO; Columbus, GA; Glendale, AZ; Kansas City, MO; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC Westminster, MD
  • 21 Years: Louisville, KY, Oklahoma City, OK; Aurora, CO; Minneapolis, MN;[54] Saint Paul, MN[55]


  • 19 Years: Hialeah, FL (qualified voter requirement + 1 year of residence)
  • No Age Minimum Listed or Implied: Pittsburgh, PA; Wichita, KS; Jersey City, NJ; Buffalo, NY; Yonkers, NY; Troy, NC
  • Data unavailable: Birmingham, AL; Newark, NJ

Baltimore

  • City Comptroller, and City Council President: 25[7]
  • City Council Member: 21[7]

References

  1. ↑ Payton, Laura (October 4, 2011). "Court closes judge retirement age loophole". CBC News.
  2. ↑ Nixon, Geoff (July 30, 2023). "The U.S. Senate is steadily aging — but members leave on their own terms". CBC News.
  3. 1 2 3 "Article V, Section 3". Constitution of the State of Illinois. Illinois General Assembly. December 15, 1970. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  4. 1 2 KWCH (May 18, 2018). "New law sets minimum age for Kansas governor candidates". KWCH.
  5. 1 2 "072". Archived from the original on 2010-12-21. Retrieved 2011-03-03.
  6. ↑ Maine Constitution Article IV, Part 1.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Qualifications for Filing Candidacy".
  8. ↑ Galvin, William Francis (March 2017). "How to Run for Office in Massachusetts" (PDF). Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 27, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Article V, Section 22" (PDF). Michigan Constitution. State of Michigan. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  10. ↑ Archived copy Archived 2010-07-29 at the Wayback Machine, Section 2
  11. 1 2 3 "Qualifications for Office". New Hampshire Secretary of State. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  12. 1 2 "New Jersey Constitution | NJ Legislature". New Jersey Legislature. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Running for Office | New York State Board of Elections".
  14. 1 2 "Article III, Section 2". North Carolina Constitution. North Carolina General Assembly. Archived from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Article II, Section 6". North Carolina Constitution. North Carolina General Assembly. Archived from the original on May 21, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  16. 1 2 "Article VI, Section 6". North Carolina Constitution. North Carolina General Assembly. Archived from the original on April 23, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  17. 1 2 3 "Section VI-3".
  18. ↑ "Article IV, Section 2". South Carolina Constitution. South Carolina Legislature. Archived from the original on 2012-04-27. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  19. 1 2 "Article III, Section 7". South Carolina Constitution. South Carolina Legislature. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Qualifying Procedures for Tennessee House of Representatives". Tennessee Secretary of State. February 8, 2023. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Governor of Vermont". Ballotpedia. Retrieved Sep 15, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Constitution of Virginia - Article V. Executive".
  23. 1 2 "Constitution of Virginia - Article IV. Legislature".
  24. ↑ "Alaska Statutes Title 15. Elections § 15.25.180". Findlaw. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  25. ↑ "View Document". Arizona State Legislature. Archived from the original on April 10, 2017.
  26. ↑ "Law section". California Legislative Information. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  27. ↑ "2015 Georgia Code :: Title 21 - ELECTIONS :: Chapter 2 - ELECTIONS AND PRIMARIES GENERALLY :: Article 4 - SELECTION AND QUALIFICATION OF CANDIDATES AND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS :: Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS :: § 21-2-132 - Filing notice of candidacy, nomination petition, and affidavit; payment of qualifying fee; pauper's affidavit and qualifying petition for exemption from qualifying fee; military service". Justia Law. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  28. ↑ "2016 Idaho Statutes :: Title 50 - MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS :: Chapter 6 - MAYOR :: Section 50-601 - QUALIFICATIONS".
  29. ↑ "Your School Board and You" (PDF).
  30. ↑ Archived copy Archived 2017-04-10 at the Wayback Machine, Article 8. Candidates
  31. ↑ "Qualifications for public office" (PDF). legis.iowa.gov. 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  32. ↑ "ABCB, Qualifications for School Board Members".
  33. ↑ "Article - Election Law" (PDF). Maryland General Assembly. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 28, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Minnesota Secretary Of State - Candidate Qualifications". Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  35. ↑ "7-4-4301. Qualifications for mayor, MCA".
  36. ↑ "NRS 281.010 Elected and appointed officers". leg.state.nv.us. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  37. ↑ "New Mexico One Source of Law®". Archived from the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2017-04-09.
  38. 1 2 "Running for Office | New York State Board of Elections".
  39. ↑ "GS_163-294.2.pdf" (PDF). North Carolina General Assembly. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 4, 2022.
  40. ↑ "North Dakota Century Code" (PDF). ndlegis.gov. p. 3. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  41. ↑ "Candidate Must be Registered - Exceptions".
  42. ↑ "Chapter 249 - Candidates; Recall". Oregon State Legislature. 2021. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  43. ↑ "Pennsylvania Statutes Title 11 Pa.C.S.A. Cities § 11201. Qualifications". FindLaw. January 1, 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  44. ↑ "Title 17 - Elections". State of Rhode Island General Assembly. February 8, 2022. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022.
  45. ↑ "Article V, Section 15". South Carolina Constitution. South Carolina Legislature. Archived from the original on January 4, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  46. ↑ "South Dakota Legislature".
  47. ↑ "Texas Constitution and Statutes - Error".
  48. ↑ "Vermont Laws".
  49. ↑ "Vermont Laws".
  50. ↑ "24.2-500. Qualification of candidates".
  51. ↑ "RCW 29A.24.075: Qualifications for filing, appearance on ballot".
  52. ↑ "Wisconsin Legislature: Chapter 62".
  53. ↑ "Article 3 - Nominations". State of Wyoming Legislature. Archived from the original on April 10, 2017.
  54. ↑ "Eligibility to hold office". Minneapolis, MN. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023.
  55. ↑ "Candidate Filing". Ramsey County, MN. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023.
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